


Into The Night

by wingsyouburn



Category: Final Fantasy VI
Genre: Gen, Mid-Canon, Self-Reflection, World of Ruin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:53:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26301490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wingsyouburn/pseuds/wingsyouburn
Summary: Celes takes a moment to reflect on how far she's come since the solitary island.
Relationships: Celes Chere & Edgar Roni Figaro
Comments: 7
Kudos: 10
Collections: Press Start VI





	Into The Night

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Siver](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Siver/gifts).



> For Siver. Your requests mentioned Celes, the opera, and expanding on some of her moments in game, and this is what popped out. I hope you enjoy! ♥

Night settled over Kohlingen. After convincing a drunken Setzer to help them in their quest, the party retreated to the inn above the pub. If Setzer choose to spend his night tucked in with another bottle, Celes didn’t care, so long as he was ready to go come morning.

She had to admit, it was nice to sleep in an actual bed opposed to camping under the stars. They hadn’t had such nice accommodations since they left Figaro. The inn wasn’t anything spectacular, but the sheets were clean and the pillows were soft. Celes was happy for a roof over her head and the promise of food in the morning.

The others turned in quickly for the night. If only sleep would come for Celes, too. She tossed and turned, staring at the ceiling.

Perhaps this was a fool’s errand, looking for their fallen comrades and taking down Kefka. The rest of the world seemed settled with their new fates. Every place they visited, people were rebuilding their lives, fixing destroyed homes and businesses. Even Terra didn’t want to leave the children under her care, no matter how much Celes and Sabin begged her.

The end of the world came, and the world moved on. But Celes couldn’t do the same. 

Finally she kicked off her blanket and climbed out of bed. She glanced around the room at the others. Setzer was face down in his pillow, silver hair spilled around his shoulders. Edgar wasn’t much better, curled in a fetal position, his arm tucked beneath him. Sabin looked ready to jump out of bed at any moment, if not for his loud snores. They’d be fine without Celes for a bit.

The chill didn’t bother her, but she wrapped her blanket around her shoulders, strapped on her sword, and stepped out onto the small balcony. The wood creaked, but it held her weight. Even if it collapsed, Celes wasn’t concerned. 

She gazed up at the sky. The stars came out one by one, the moon casting a soft glow over what remained of Kohlingen. This late at night, there were still signs of life in the town. Lights flickered inside distant houses. Drunks stumbled out into the street from the tavern below.

The breeze caught her hair. Celes tilted her face into the wind, smiling at its soft caress. Hope still prevailed though the darkness reigned. She’d struggled to see that in the wake of Cid’s death on the solitary island.

With the Empire, she’d done so many things she wasn’t proud of. It was her responsibility to help make things right. If she could bring some semblance of peace to the world, it was worth every battle she fought. 

Her mind drifted, to another balcony, what felt like another lifetime ago. Where she stood on stage and pretended to be an opera star for one night only. It was a gamble, dressing her up like Maria and singing the aria in the hopes that Setzer wouldn’t realize she wasn’t the right woman. 

And it had worked, though not without its hiccups. How an octopus got into the rafters, she’d never know. But what mattered was that they won Setzer’s help. In doing so, they gained an airship and a new comrade. Everything changed from that night in Jidoor. 

Celes leaned against the shoddy rail. The wood, once smooth and finished, was now cracked and splintered. She tested her weight, and it didn’t shift. She closed her eyes, remembering the song they’d asked her to sing. 

_Oh my hero, my beloved,_   
_Shall we still be made to part?_   
_Your promises of perennial love_   
_Yet sing here in my heart_

Under her breath, she hummed the melody. Unaware of anyone else around her, the lyrics slipped from her lips. 

_I'm the darkness, you're the starlight_   
_Shining brightly from afar_   
_Through hours of despair, I offer this prayer_   
_To you, my evening star_

_Must my final vows exchanged_   
_Be with him and not with you?_   
_Were you only here to quiet my fear_   
_Oh, speak! Guide me anew!_

Footsteps shuffled behind her.

Celes spun around, drawing her sword. Edgar stood in the doorway, hands up as if surrendering. “Please, don’t let me interrupt,” he said, eyes sparkling. “If I knew you were singing, I would have woken up earlier.”

“Shut up, Edgar.” Celes huffed, sheathing her weapon. “I thought you were asleep.”

“I could have said the same for you.” Edgar tested the balcony, taking one cautious step forward, then another. With his hair free of its usual ponytail, he looked younger, like the stress of being the King of Figaro slipped from his face. He gazed out over the town. “Look at all this. Reminds us what we’re fighting for.”

She hummed her agreement. “You have Figaro to think of,” she reminded him. “You have plenty to defend.”

“Yes, of course, one of us needs to be the responsible one.” He turned his eyes to her. “And what of you, my dear Celes? What are you fighting for?”

Celes wasn’t sure. Fighting for the sake of fighting wasn’t quite right. It was the right thing to do, yes. She had the skills to fight whereas many survivors didn’t. At the same time, she had her magic thanks to the Empire’s experiments. Would she feel the same if she couldn’t call ice into her hand? Would she ever be able to repent for the damage the Empire did to the world?

“I’m not sure,” she admitted. “Hope, perhaps, that we can right these wrongs.” Hope that the others were still out there. She’d found Terra, and the Figaro twins, and Setzer too. They could find the rest if they looked hard enough. 

“A lofty goal,” Edgar agreed. “If anyone can, it’s us.”

“Of that, we’re in agreement.”

“Life is about more than just getting to the next battle, though.”

She side-eyed him. “Are you getting philosophical on me, Edgar? You should leave that to your brother.” At least it sounded more genuine coming from Sabin.

He laughed. “Just making a point. Still,” he looked down at the street below them, “it’s hard to think about that until all this Kefka business is over with.”

“I know.” Celes felt responsible for it all. They’d tried so hard to stop Kefka, and they failed. The world paid the price. They couldn’t afford to make the same mistake again. “We’ll head out first thing in the morning. Assuming Setzer isn’t too hungover, that is.”

“I saw how much he had to drink. We’ll be lucky if he’s conscious by sunrise.” Edgar shrugged. “He’ll be sad he missed your impromptu performance.”

“You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”

“You could take up a career as an opera singer. A real one.”

Celes rested a hand on the hilt of her sword. “I can hurt you, you know.”

Edgar took a step back, shaking his head. Strands of blonde hair floated into his eyes, and he pushed them back with a flick of his wrist “I know you could, but you won’t,” he teased, wiggling a finger at her. “You need me.”

“I mean it, Edgar. Not a word of this to anyone.”

He mimicked zipping his lips shut. “It will be our little secret.”

“Then why do I feel as if you’re going to brag about it to Setzer the first time you two play cards together?”

“I will not!” Edgar stood to his full height, laying a hand on his heart. “I swear it, on my honor as the King of Figaro.”

It was the strongest vow he could give her. Celes sighed, loosening her grip. “Thank you,” she said. If Edgar dared to tell the others, then she knew she could best him in hand-to-hand combat.

“Of course.” He bowed his head to her. “Though if I might be allowed my opinion?” Celes waited him out, curious. “I believe you can be whatever you want to be.”

She scoffed. “Is that your best inspirational speech?”

“Celes.” His voice grew softer. “If anyone deserves a second chance, it’s you. You’ve done more than anyone to right the wrongs done to the world. You deserve to live a life of your own choosing. Be that as an opera singer or a soldier or what have you. You will always have my support.”

The words died in her throat. She didn’t know how she’d earned Edgar’s unwavering trust - or Sabin’s, or Setzer’s. Even Terra hadn’t turned her down because she didn’t believe in Celes. A voice in the back of her mind screamed at her to deny it. All Celes did was bring destruction in her path.

But if the end of the world taught her one thing, it was that she was here for a purpose. What that purpose was, she didn’t yet know, but she wouldn’t find it by staying on the solitary island. The only way to go was forward.

After they defeated Kefka, Celes could worry about the future. Until then, she would take care of those who chose to fight beside her. She could lead them. She had to.

So she bowed her head, struggling to find the words. “Thank you,” she finally whispered. 

“Of course. Anything for a pretty lady.” Edgar bowed to her, flicking his hand to the side, as if he were greeting another royal at court. Then he looked up at her and grinned. “And for a friend.” 

Friends. Celes couldn’t remember actually having friends before. The closest she had was Terra, but thanks to the slave crown,the girl Celes knew in the Empire wasn’t the same one now helping orphans in Mobliz. This was new territory for her, and her breath caught in her throat. 

Edgar stood back up, adjusting his shirt. “And on that note, I think I’ll head back to bed. Are you coming?” 

Celes snapped out of her reverie. “With you, to your bed? Of course not, Edgar.” 

“You always assume the worst of me!” He pressed a hand against his heart, as if he were wounded. “Don’t stay up too late. We have a big day tomorrow.” 

“I know.” She nodded her head towards him. “I won’t be long. Goodnight, Edgar.” 

“Goodnight, Celes.” 

She watched him go, climbing back into the bed beside Sabin’s. Then she turned back to the town below.Lights winked out, one by one, as the night owls finally turned in. Celes drew a deep breath and slowly let it go, gripping the railing with both hands. 

The future waited for no one. Perhaps, when this was all over, she could decide for herself what she wanted. For now, it was enough to know that she would have a hand in Kefka’s fall — or she would die trying. She couldn’t let the fear of the unknown paralyze her into inaction. 

It almost won against her once, on the solitary island. Celes wouldn’t give into her fears again. Edgar was right; she deserved the right to live. 

Maybe someday, she’d believe in those words as much as her friends did. 

**Author's Note:**

> Obviously, the lyrics to _Maria and Draco_ are all SquareEnix's, not mine.


End file.
